


Lullaby for Those Who Might Listen

by superdreamcast64



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Comfort, Gen, Not A Shipfic, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 01:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20368645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superdreamcast64/pseuds/superdreamcast64
Summary: Jigglypuff puts on a performance at the Smash Mansion's park. It doesn't quite go how she wanted it, and Wii Fit Trainer knows that. NOT A SHIPFIC.





	Lullaby for Those Who Might Listen

With a quiet, frustrated grunt, Jigglypuff pushed a pushpin into the corkboard that towered over her like a high-rise building. A brand-new flyer, hot off of the printer just a stone’s throw away, boldly stuck out among a collection of passive-aggressive sticky notes and outdated event announcements.  


“And you’re sure it has all the relevant information on it, right?” Isabelle asked, standing a few steps behind the pint-sized creature. Jigglypuff enthusiastically cooed, picking up the small pack of pushpins she’d received from Isabelle. She happily returned them to the secretary, who spent many of her free hours hanging around the Smash Mansion lounge’s computers.  


Isabelle often made it her business to assist anyone who was having trouble using the computers, which were supplied by the Mansion. Many fighters were from dimensions or time periods where computers were either uncommon or nonexistent, and so the presence of the technology was difficult for them to grasp. Those fighers, including Jigglypuff, often sought Isabelle for help. Given that Jigglypuff couldn’t read, write, or operate a machine more complicated than a microphone, it was fortunate indeed that Isabelle was willing to help her. That day, Jigglypuff had come in specifically to ask for Isabelle’s help creating a flyer, like the ones that were posted on corkboards all over campus. When she first arrived on the scene, Isabelle had been helping Wii Fit Trainer understand the intricacies of a word-processing program. The fair-skinned young woman was beaming with pride at the organized, stylish, double-spaced To-Do List she’d labored over an hour to create. She was detail-oriented to a fault, and it was clear that this was something that appealed to that side of her. When Jigglypuff yanked on the hemline of Isabelle’s neatly-pressed skirt, Wii Fit Trainer politely dismissed the secretary with a smile.  


After a long game of charades, Isabelle figured out that Jigglypuff wanted help creating an event flyer. The Pokémon wanted to host her own event, but couldn’t hack all of the computer nonsense involved in advertising it. Some of the other Pokémon, like Pikachu and Greninja, had taken well to the technology, but it evaded Jigglypuff. This was fine, mostly, since she had little need for any of it, but when she wanted to host her own small event, she knew she’d need help. After over two hours of charades, confusion, and frustration, Isabelle had typed up the flyer Jigglypuff wanted. They printed a stack of copies, a single sheet of which Jigglypuff proudly pinned to the huge corkboard.  


Wii Fit Trainer, having finished her business and printed out her To-Do List, strolled up to the corkboard. “There’s a new event going on, is there?” She smiled. Jigglypuff turned to her and proudly puffed up her body. Her cheeky smile warmed Isabelle’s heart.  


“Jigglypuff just made this flyer,” Isabelle said, not acknowledging the fact that she herself did most of the work, “check it out if you have a moment!”  


Wii Fit Trainer leaned in, humming and placing her hands on her hips. She read the flyer aloud. “Brunch With Puff: Catered Live Musical Performance by Jigglypuff… at the park behind the Mansion at noon… no admission fee… tomorrow, huh?”  


“The title was mine,” Isabelle chuckled embarrassedly, “I thought it made it sound exciting.”  


“It certainly does,” said Wii Fit Trainer, “though my schedule is a little busy tomorrow.”  


Jigglypuff audibly huffed, unhappy with the woman’s response. Her bright pink cheeks puffed up, and for a moment Isabelle thought the Pokémon might attack.  


“Er, well… I’ll tell you what. If you serve food that is nutritionally balanced, I’ll go. A late breakfast never killed anybody, although it will alter my fitness routine for the day.”  


“They say that variety is the spice of life, after all!” Isabelle smiled. “Although I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask about that…”  


Jigglypuff grinned once again, satisfied with Wii-Fit Trainer’s RSVP. She wasn’t sure if the food at the event was going to be healthy, since she just ordered the servile Shy Guys in the Event Coordination department to bring a bunch of whatever food it is that other fighters like to eat. Regardless, she was happy to have her first attendee.  


“Alright, I’ll come around tomorrow. At noon, right? I’ll be on-time, I promise.” Wii Fit Trainer pulled out her To-Do List from her pants pocket and grabbed a pen from a cup that sat underneath the corkboard. She quickly but neatly wrote “brunch (park 12PM)” on the paper before returning the pen and folding the list back into her pocket.  


“Goodbye, then. Thank you for your help, Isabelle.” She waved politely before making her exit from the large yet cozy lounge. Jigglypuff bounced up and down in excitement, floating in the air just a bit after every hop.  


“Well, Jigglypuff, I think you did a good job here! You should spread the good word of your performance to the others. I think they’d be glad to hear it!” Isabelle cheered.  


Jigglypuff nodded excitedly, gathered the other copies of her flyer, and climbed down from the table in front of the corkboard. She squealed happily at Isabelle in a way that seemed a lot like an expression of thanks, and trotted away to advertise her event to other fighters. Isabelle felt the warmth in her heart that she only felt after helping others- though only for a moment, since she could hear Richter struggling with a computer across the room. He shouted some obscenities and smacked the sleeping monitor with the palm of his hand. _Back to work,_ Isabelle thought.  


The next day, Jigglypuff stood proudly on a stool in the center of the park, where a small in-ground water feature jetted streams of water into the air directly behind her. A myriad of picnic tables surrounded the makeshift stage, and a team of Shy Guys were finishing up the catering preparations. They had brought an odd mix of human foods and Pokémon foods- an arranged basket of Poké Puffs stood among a variety of finger sandwiches and single-serving potato chip bags. A large platter of assorted vegetables and dips attracted the occasional fly, which made Jigglypuff acutely aware of the passing minutes. She was anxious to begin as she waited for fighters to file in and fill the seats.  


Time passed, and about ten minutes before noon, Isabelle. She smiled at the Pokémon, but after just a few seconds Jigglypuff caught Isabelle looking around curiously at all of the empty seats. They both watched as the Shy Guys, having finished their job for the hour, disappeared into the park horizon. Jigglypuff stared intensely at Isabelle, who went to the table with the vegetable platter and made herself a plate of finger vegetables and potato chips. Suddenly, watching Isabelle occupy one of those empty seats and nibble on the celery that the flies had been eyeing made her nauseous. She frowned and faced the sky, checking the sun to make sure the time was right. It was, without a shadow of a doubt, noon.  


It was noon, and nobody was there except for Isabelle, who had certainly come out of politeness to Jigglypuff. It was noon, and nobody who had taken any of the fliers she passed out the day before were there. She tried to remember who she’d seen and what they’d said. She had handed a flier to Pikachu, who handed the flier back to her and shook his head, cautious of Jigglypuff’s potent songs. She had handed one to Princess Peach, who pouted that her schedule was packed with diplomatic duties. She had handed one to Joker, who gave her an emphatic and straightforward “no.” She had handed one to Bowser, who scrunched up his snout and burned the paper with his flame breath. She had handed one to Olimar, who made up an excuse about not being able to eat or hear through his helmet. She had handed one to Pit, who couldn’t read.  


That’s right… nobody had agreed to come, had they? In her excitement, Jigglypuff forgot this crucial obstacle. She wanted to perform, but only one person was present. She watched as more and more flies accumulated around the vegetable platter. What had she done wrong? Was her voice too shrill? She knew that her songs put people to sleep, but she figured that was only a side effect of being in the heat of battle. Her powers were only that powerful when they needed to be, weren’t they?  


Suddenly, as if on cue, a slender figure appeared before the catering table. The small swarm of flies Jigglypuff had been watching shot into the air and flew away.  


“Well, this isn’t exactly what I’d call a balanced brunch,” Wii Fit Trainer mused, “but at least there are healthy choices here. I’m impressed!”  


Jigglypuff’s eyes widened. Of course, there was something so important that she’d forgotten- someone did agree to come. Not out of politeness or obligation, but because she wanted to. A bona fide audience member!  


Jigglypuff cried out in happiness. Wii Fit Trainer and Isabelle both looked at her and gave sunny, genuine smiles.  


“I think Jigglypuff was waiting for you to come, Miss Trainer!” Isabelle said. Or waiting for anybody to come, she thought.  


“My apologies. I’m usually exactly on time, but I got sidetracked for a minute.” Wii Fit Trainer was right- she was only one minute late. Isabelle and Wii Fit Trainer were both the type of people to arrive early to anything they did, and they considered being on-time late.  


Wii Fit Trainer collected an assortment of finger vegetables onto her own small plate, did not touch any of the dressing or chips, and sat in a seat. She ate quickly and somewhat loudly, but neatly. Isabelle thought she ate with the efficiency of a paper shredder.  


“I have a friend coming, so is it alright if we wait for a moment?” The yogi asked, looking earnestly at Jigglypuff. The Pokémon nodded quickly, excitedly, almost falling off of the stool she stood on.  


“No need to wait,” a young man’s voice called out, “we’re already here.”  


Little Mac, dressed casually in a worn pink hoodie and sweatpants, approached the gathering area with little fanfare. Hiding behind him was none other than Luigi, wearing his usual outfit with a small red bowtie. When Luigi saw Wii Fit Trainer’s face, he seemed to relax.  


“Good to see you, Trainer. Thanks for the invite to this, uh…” Little Mac drawled, “Show… thing.” He grabbed two bags of potato chips and hunkered down two seats away from her, trying to give a polite smile.  


“You’re welcome,” said Wii Fit Trainer. She turned to Isabelle, “Little Mac and Luigi are in my weekly light yoga class.”  


“Oh! What a surprise!” Isabelle exclaimed.  


“Well, calling it light is a little misleading. After five weeks, we’re the only students left who can handle it,” Little Mac muttered. Isabelle chuckled at the idea of Luigi being that committed to yoga.  


“D-did we come too late?” Luigi asked as he made himself a plate of vegetables, finger sandwiches, and Poké puffs. Jigglypuff wanted to ask about the Poké puffs, but she couldn’t articulate it. Instead, she simply shook her head and cooed in response to his question.  


“Oh boy! I’m glad,” Luigi chimed, “since I really love dinner theater. I didn’t want to miss it.”  


“I like music too, but are we gonna be okay? You know, the whole… sleep thing…” Little Mac asked to seemingly everybody. Everyone looked at Jigglypuff, and she nodded. “Alright, I’ll go with it.” Little Mac stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth.  


Soon, everyone was settled into their seats, quietly listening to the sound of the water feature behind Jigglypuff. They all stared at her expectantly. She picked up her microphone, which appeared to be made of plastic and not connected to any sort of electronic base, and tapped it with her hand a few times to test it. Nobody made a sound as they carefully watched her. Luigi nervously stuffed a handful of Poké puffs in his mouth, trying to chew as quietly as possible. Little Mac picked at his lower lip with his fingers, flicking bits of dry skin onto the grass. Isabelle took a long, deep breath into her stomach. Wii Fit trainer was the only audience member who seemed unfazed. She smiled pleasantly as Jigglypuff began her song.  


The song was a slow, soft melody. It was a classic and romantic ballad, soothing but lamenting. The song melted into the air and cradled everyone who listened. It was like the light yet nostalgic scent of the chlorinated water feature that she stood in front of- it penetrated the heart deeply, emotionally, and with joy, but still felt biting and nearly overwhelming. The song was long- almost ten minutes- and even though she could not understand Jigglypuff’s language, Wii Fit Trainer was moved. She listened intently to every second, not touching her food or speaking for the entire duration. At one point in the middle of the performance, she slowly closed her eyes and sat back in her chair, relaxing every muscle in her body and exhaling slowly. Everyone else in the audience did the same. The song was slow, gorgeous, and long, and eventually it was over.  


Isabelle, Little Mac, and Luigi were all slumped over in their chairs. Everyone’s eyes were closed, and a long silence endured after the final note left Jigglypuff’s body. The Pokémon surveyed her audience, anxiously looking for some kind of praise or criticism. Instead, all was quiet. The silence was broken only when Luigi let out a loud sound from deep in his throat, something between a croak and a cough. A snore. Jigglypuff glared hard at him, puffing up her cheeks. She turned her gaze to Little Mac, who was slumped over so far that his face was parallel to the ground. His open bags of chips had fallen to the ground, and the grass was sprinkled with pale yellow crumbs. Asleep. Jigglypuff grew more frustrated, and her light pink cheeks flushed bright red. What about Isabelle? Jigglypuff was hopeful for a moment about Isabelle, since she was a kind and respectful person. When she turned to look at her, though, a wave of disappointment washed over her small, round body. The dog had fallen asleep in the most obvious way possible- she was snoring softly, her head lolled back, with the smallest dribble of drool hanging from her mouth. Jigglypuff was angry and tired. Why wouldn’t anybody listen to her performances? She felt like giving up. She felt like crying. She felt like running away. She felt like getting revenge.  


Jigglypuff knew that it wasn’t the listener’s fault for falling asleep during her songs. She knew that her powers manifested in a very specific way, forcing anyone who heard her song into slumber. She knew, but it still hurt her. All she had ever wanted to do was sing and fight, and she felt she’d been cursed in the vilest way by only being able to use her songs as a tool for violence. She knew she needed to learn to cope with her reality, but a part of her still wanted to fight it. Part of her was still angry. So, her eyes filled with tears, she lifted the top from her plastic microphone to reveal a thick, black marker head. It smelled pungently and ended in a thick, clumsy tip that was glossy with ink. She floated off of her stool and onto the ground, deciding who would be the first victim of her attack. She spotted Wii Fit Trainer, whose eyes were closed and whose back was completely straight, and approached her. She felt especially angry at the woman, since she’d brought more audience members who fell asleep and made a mockery of the show. Huffing and puffing, Jigglypuff stomped over to Wii Fit Trainer, climbed onto the chair next to her, and touched the tip of the marker to her delicate white cheeks.  


“Oh?” Wii Fit Trainer’s eyes fluttered open, though not in the way that one’s eyes open after a deep slumber. She fixed her deep, gray pupils on Jigglypuff’s wet eyes. “Is the show over? I didn’t expect there to be only one song.” She smiled genuinely.  


Jigglypuff gasped and snatched the marker off of Wii Fit Trainer’s face as quickly as she could, as if trying to hide her crimes. It left a wet, cold streak on the yogi’s face. The contrast between the dark marker ink and her snow-white skin made the blot stick out immensely. She touched the mark carefully with her fingertips, smudging it slightly towards her chin. Looking at her darkened fingertips, she raised an eyebrow.  


“Were you… drawing on my face? After I listened to your whole song so politely, too?” Wii Fit Trainer frowned. “I didn’t fall asleep at all, you know.”  


The words rung out in Jigglypuff’s head. _After I listened to your whole song… I didn’t fall asleep. _Nobody had ever listened to a whole song from her before. Nobody had ever been able to withstand it. Suddenly feeling the need to explain herself, she started stuttering and stammering, gesturing wildly at the other audience members and at herself. At some point, a huge tear had crept down her cheek. It traveled down and seemed to lodge itself in the space where her foot met the bottom of her body. She felt excited and anxious and joyful and angry- but she couldn’t explain herself using words that this woman would ever understand. The babble left her body and shot into the air, piercing the Zen atmosphere the performance had created.  


Even so, Wii Fit Trainer smiled and placed a gentle hand on Jigglypuff’s head. Slowly, Jigglypuff quieted herself. Wii Fit Trainer calmly rubbed behind the creature’s ears while she spoke.  


“You know, daytime sleepiness is a sign of poor health. Factors like diet, exercise, prescription medication, and mental health can impact the quality of sleep you get at night, and that spills over into the morning. I know for a fact that almost everyone here has poor sleep hygiene.” She looked up and directed her focus to Little Mac, a short distance behind Jigglypuff’s back.  


“Little Mac does a lot of his training in the evening, right before he goes to bed. Intense exercise right before bed raises your heart rate and releases adrenaline, factors that prevent deep sleep.  


“I know that Luigi takes naps throughout the day and has some problems with chronic anxiety. Too much daytime napping already impacts the body’s ability to fall asleep at the right time. That fact combined with untreated emotional issues is a recipe for poor-quality sleep.  


“Isabelle, of course, drinks enough caffeine to kill a dog of her same size, at least where I’m from. It’s no wonder she fell asleep- her body probably collapsed under the weight of all the sleep she’s been putting off.”  


Wii Fit Trainer slowly turned her cloudy eyes back to Jigglypuff and wiped the tear from her pink body with a slim finger.  


“I’m sure you know this, but I pride myself on my good health. I exercise for at least an hour every day, including at least thirty minutes of yoga. I eat balanced meals and I don’t drink caffeine or alcohol. I always go to sleep at the same time every night, and I don’t play games or use my phone in bed. I meditate for five minutes before laying down, too. So of course, I get nine hours of quality sleep every night.  


“But we can’t expect everyone to live that way. Sometimes, people consciously sacrifice their health to do other things, like training or napping or staying up late. I don’t like it either, but I know it’s not my fault. It’s not my fault or your fault or even anyone’s fault- it’s just the way it is. People are like that sometimes.” Wii Fit Trainer chuckled and wiped her ink-stained finger on Jigglypuff’s cheek. It left a wet, warm streak that stuck out immensely. “Look, we’re twins!”  


Relief, joy, and thousands of other warm feelings had begun to fill Jigglypuff’s small body. The emotions were thick and heavy and sweet, but unable to be grasped. It was all she could do to smile and start giggling, wiping the leftover tears from her large eyes. She closed the marker in her hand by clicking the microphone-shaped cap back onto it. It was all she’d ever wanted. Not just to sing, but to be heard. Anyone could sing. Babies, birds, cattle, and even insects could sing, but not everyone could be heard. Jigglypuff had never experienced a true audience before, and she wanted it to last forever. Without warning, she turned around and scrambled back towards her stool. By this time, the flies had come back to the vegetable platter and were standing still, blankly staring in her direction as if expecting something from her. Wii Fit Trainer, grinning wide, watched the Pokémon proudly mount the seat at the front of the area.  


“Encore! Encore!” The woman cheered. She clapped her hands gently so as not to wake the others.  


Then, with a deep breath and much aplomb, Jigglypuff opened her mouth to sing another song.  


Wii Fit Trainer listened to every second of it.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second oneshot fic. It turned out about a thousand words longer than I wanted it to be, but I hope you liked it anyways. Please let me know what you think about it!


End file.
